Trump signs government funding bill, ending a record 43-day shutdown

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump signed a government funding bill Wednesday night, ending a record 43-day shutdown that left financial strain on federal workers who remained without paychecks, stranded dozens of travelers at airports and generated long lines at some food banks.

He watches: The House of Representatives passes a bill to end the longest government shutdown in history

The shutdown amplified partisan divisions in Washington as Trump took unprecedented unilateral actions — including canceling projects and trying to fire federal employees — to pressure Democrats to back down from their demands.

The Republican president blamed the situation on Democrats and suggested voters would not reward the party during next year’s midterm elections.

“So I just want to say to the American people, don’t forget this,” Trump said. “When we get to the midterms and stuff, don’t forget what they did to our country.”

The signing ceremony came just hours after the House of Representatives passed the measure by a vote of 222 to 209. The Senate had already approved the measure on Monday.

Democrats wanted to extend the enhanced tax credit that expires at the end of the year, which reduces the cost of health coverage obtained through the Affordable Care Act’s marketplaces. They refused to approve a short-term spending bill that did not include that priority. But Republicans said it was a separate political battle that would be held at another time.

Read more: Johnson calls the House of Representatives into session again after refusing to meet during the lockdown

“We’ve been telling you for 43 days from bitter experience that a government shutdown doesn’t work,” said Rep. Tom Cole, Republican chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. “They never achieve the goal you declare. And guess what? You haven’t achieved that goal yet, and you never will.”

A bitter ending after a long wait

The frustration and stress of the shutdown was reflected when lawmakers debated the spending measure on the House floor.

Republicans said Democrats sought to exploit the pain caused by the shutdown to achieve victory in a political dispute.

“They knew it would hurt, and they did it anyway,” House Speaker Mike Johnson said.

Democrats said Republicans raced to pass tax breaks earlier this year, most of which they say would benefit the wealthy. Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., said the bill before the House on Wednesday “leaves families twisting in the wind with no guarantee that there will ever be a vote to extend tax credits to help ordinary people pay for their health care.”

Read more: What’s in the Senate shutdown deal?

Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said that Democrats will not give up on extending support even if the vote does not go their way.

“This fight is far from over,” Jeffries said. “We’re just getting started.”

The House has not been in legislative session since Sept. 19, when it passed a short-term measure to keep the government open when the new budget year begins in October. Johnson sent lawmakers home after that vote and put the onus on the Senate to act, saying House Republicans had done their job.

What’s in the bill to end the lockdown

The legislation is the result of an agreement reached by eight senators who defected from Democrats after reaching the conclusion that Republicans would not bend to use government funding for a bill to expand health care tax credits.

This compromise funds three annual spending bills and extends the rest of government funding until January 30. Republicans have promised a vote by mid-December to extend health care subsidies, but there is no guarantee of success.

Read more: In a show of community strength, volunteers are providing temporary services during the closure period

The bill includes reversing the firings of federal employees by the Trump administration since the shutdown began. It also protects federal workers from further layoffs during January and ensures they will receive their wages once the shutdown ends. The Agriculture Department’s bill means people who rely on key food assistance programs will have those benefits funded without the threat of being cut off during the rest of the budget year.

The package includes $203.5 million to enhance security for lawmakers and an additional $28 million for security for Supreme Court justices.

Democrats also decried language in the bill that would give senators the opportunity to file a lawsuit when a federal agency or employee searches their electronic records without notifying them, allowing potential damages of up to $500,000 for each violation.

The language appears intended to help Republican senators obtain damages if the FBI analyzes their phone records as part of an investigation into Trump’s efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss. Those provisions have drawn criticism from Republicans as well. Johnson said he was “very angry about that.”

“This was brought up at the last minute, and I didn’t appreciate it, and neither did most members of the House,” Johnson said. He promised a vote on the issue early next week.

However, the biggest point of contention has been the fate of the expiring enhanced tax credit that makes health insurance more affordable through the Affordable Care Act’s marketplaces.

“It’s a subsidy on top of a subsidy. Our friends added it during the coronavirus,” Cole said. “The coronavirus is over. They have set a firm date when the support will run out. They chose history.”

Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said the enhanced tax credit is intended to give more people access to health care and no Republicans voted for it.

“All they’ve done is try to block access to health care in our country,” Pelosi said. “The country is catching up with them.”

Without the enhanced tax credit, insurance premiums on average would more than double for millions of Americans. The Congressional Budget Office predicted that more than two million people will lose health insurance coverage completely next year.

Discussing future health care

It is unclear whether the two sides will find any common ground on health care before the December vote in the Senate. Johnson said he would not commit to raising the matter in his council.

Some Republicans have said they are open to extending COVID-era tax breaks as insurance premiums rise for millions of people, but they also want new restrictions on who can get the benefits. Some argue that tax dollars allocated to plans should be directed through individuals rather than going directly to insurance companies.

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said Monday she supports extending the tax credits with changes, such as new income caps. Some Democrats have indicated they might be open to the idea.

House Democrats expressed great doubt that the Senate’s efforts would lead to a breakthrough.

Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, said Republicans have wanted to repeal health reform for the past 15 years. “This is where they’re trying to go,” she said.

Associated Press writer Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.